NEW DELHI: The backlash against the Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee refuses to die down after they ignored Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal in India's 15-member squad for the Asia Cup. Former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth, known for not mincing his words, came down heavily on the selectors.
"We might win the Asia Cup with this team, but there is no chance of winning the T20 World Cup with this bunch," Srikkanth said on YouTube channel. "Are you going to take this team to the World Cup? Is this preparation for the T20 World Cup, which is hardly six months away?"
Srikkanth further argued that appointing Axar Patel as vice-captain only to later drop him reflects a lack of the forward progress the team needs.
"They have gone backwards. Axar Patel has been axed from vice-captaincy. I don't know how Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana have come in," said Srikkanth.
He claimed that the BCCI selectors seemed unsure about what criteria to prioritise, as the inclusion of that trio despite their subdued IPL performances left the former opener genuinely surprised.
"IPL is considered the main criteria for selection, but the selectors seem to have considered performances before that," he said.
The Asia Cup kicks off on September 9, with defending champions India taking on hosts United Arab Emirates in Dubai the following day. India have been placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, with the high-voltage clash scheduled for September 14.
Former India spinner R Ashwin also voiced his dissatisfaction over the move.
"See, I understand that selection is a thankless job," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat'.
"Leaving somebody out, telling someone they are dropped, it is not an easy thing. You have to speak to the players, you have to go through the sadness.
"I just hope Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal were given a call, and they were told the reasons behind not being picked.
